We Were Once a Family by Roxanna Asgarian
Roxanna Asgarian’s We Were Once a Family: A Story of Death, Love, and Child Removal in America (Macmillian 2023) is a searing indictment of the foster care system in the United States. Asgarian’s text begins with the shocking murder suicide of Jennifer Hart, Sarah Hart, and their six adopted children. In 2018, Jennifer Hart drove the family…
Unexpected by Chris Thomas
Chris Thomas’ new memoir, Unexpected: The Backstory of Finding Elizabeth Smart and Growing Up in the Culture of an American Religion (Post Hill Press 2023), grounds its premise in Thomas’ work as a public relations specialist with expertise in crisis communications related to his work on the Elizabeth Smart abduction, rescue, and the trial of her kidnappers. Unexpected also,…
The Italian Boy by Sarah Wise
In her debut book, The Italian Boy: A Tale of Murder and Body Snatching in 1830s London (Metropolitan Books, 2004), Sarah Wise unravels a riveting story of the “Italian Boy,” a young orphan, later revealed to be Carlo Ferrari, murdered by “resurrection men” in order that his body might be sold to one of London’s many medical…
The Ravine by Wendy Lower
“This book is about the potential discovery that exists if we dare to look closer. It is also about the voids that exist in the history of genocide. Its perpetrators not only kill but also seek to erase victims from written records, and even from memory. When we find one trace, we must pursue it,…
The Curse of the Marquis de Sade by Joel Warner
Joel Warner’s new book, The Curse of the Marquis de Sade: A Notorious Scoundrel, a Mythical Manuscript, and the Biggest Scandal in Literary History (Crown Publishing 2023) is an incredible, thoroughly researched book whose story spans hundreds of years. The twists and turns of this novel are truly stranger than fiction and I was hooked until…
The Beautiful Cigar Girl by Daniel Stashower
In The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Invention of Murder (Dutton, 2006) Daniel Stashower unravels the sensational tale of the ghastly murder of the young and beautiful Mary Rogers while simultaneously recounting the life of Edgar Allan Poe and the inspiration he drew from this murder case. On 28 July 1841 the…
When the Moon Turns to Blood by Leah Sottile
Leah Sottile’s 2022 text When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End Times tells the story of the murders of seven-year-old JJ Vallow and his sister, sixteen-year-old Tylee Ryan—Lori Vallow’s children. JJ and Tylee’s bodies were found in Chad Daybell’s backyard; Vallow and Daybell had been…
Starvation Heights by Gregg Olsen
If you’re looking for the perfect winter read that will truly thrill and haunt you in equal measure, I cannot recommend Gregg Olsen’s Starvation Heights: The Chilling True Story of the Doctor who Starved her Patients to Death (Thread Books 1997 [reissued 2023]) more. By turns captivating and heartbreaking, Starvation Heights kept me guessing until the very end. Olsen’s…
Murder Among Friends by Candace Fleming
One of my top murder cases to study and read about is that of Bobby Franks at the hands of the murderous pair, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two young men who seem to share the same face if you look at them long enough. With two similar faces along with two oddly similar surnames, their union…
The Real-Life Murder Clubs by Nicola Stow
Nicola Stow’s new anthology-style work of true crime, The Real-Life Murder Clubs: Citizens Solving True Crimes (Ad Lib Publishers 2022) is one of the first fascinating looks into some lesser-known citizen sleuths and the networks they use to solve cold cases and identify unknown murder victims. The Real-Life Murder Clubs is a timely and insightful look into what citizen…
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